Control system for heating apparatus



Nov. 26, 1940. B. M. GUTHRIE 2.2223562 CONTROL SYSTEMFQR HEATING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1938 6 i? Z 34 i d 4 4/ 7 6 r 43 L as 54, as f 4 g 57 3:

64 a4 fifi INVENTOR BERNARD MORSE GUTHRIE ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1940 i w .7

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR HEATING APPARATUS Bernard Morse Guthrie, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Fairbanks, Morse & 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois e Application March 11, 1938, Serial No. 195,253

4 Claims. ((1236-46) This invention relateszto an improved control mostat', the order or sequence of disengagement system for heating apparatus and the like, and of the blades is the reverse,i. e., blade l5 breaks its more particularly to a system for the control of contact with- [8 prior to the break between blade stokers, Wherebya stoker may be operated autol4 and contact 16. A thermostatic switch func- 5 matically in response to heat demand and als tioningas above described is well known and is 5 periodically through a "time control. preferred in the present example of the invention, An object of the invention is to provide a although a thermostat of single contact or other completely automatic control system for stokers type could be used without material change in I which will regulate stoker operation in a manthe operating circuit hereinafter to be described.

10 ner to maintain asubstantially uniform desired Thermostat l i serves as a master control for 10 temperature in the space-to be heated. the stoker motor l0, operating to control the 4 Another object is found in the provision of an energization of a stoker motor relay'switch l9. improved and greatly simplified control system It is preferred to place the thermostat and relay for stokers, wherein a space temperature re-' in a low voltage control circuit which may responsive thermostatfisutilized as a master conceive its energy from the main power lines and 5 trol and wherein a 't ime controlled mechanism 22, through a transformer 23 which has its provides a secondary or so-called .hold-fire conprimary winding 24 across the mains. The low trol, the circuit arrangement including'these devoltage control circuit includes the transformer vices being such that the function of the timev secondary winding 26, a lead 2'! connecting one 20 controlled mechanism to initiate stoker operation terminal of the winding 26 with one end of the :0. is dependent upon a vcontrol condition of the relay operating coil 28, and a lead 30 connecting thermostat. l I I Jthe opposite terminal of transformer winding 26 A further object lies in the provision of a con? iwith the thermostat contact l6. Included in the trol system for stokers,;including a room thermolead 30 is a safety limit switch 3| of any suitable stat, a time operated device serving as a' holdtype, as a thermostat or pressure operated switch 25 fire control, and circuits adapting either to initi- 1 whichmay be located so as to be responsive to ate Operation Of the stoke the c rcuit nclu 4 b'oilerwatertemperature or pressure in the case e ti e de ce ha ng t re ath rmal y ODerof hot water heating systems, or the safety switch ated switch under the "control of the room thermaybe located in the furnace stack. The purpose mostat; I v of the'switch 3| is to effect a break in the control 30 Other objects and advantages will appear from circuit in response to abnormal furnace condithe following description, when read in connecf "tions, whereby to prevent operation of the stoker tion with the accompanying drawing, in which mechanism until normal furnace operation is the single figure illustrates"diagrammatically, a V restored. p r f r f n r l ystem em dying im- Leads 32 and 34 connect the other thermostat a5 movements and features of h v o contact 18 to the remaining'terminal of the relay Referri to t e dra in by suitable char cters coil z'ayfivnile a branch lead as from lead 32 is 0 reference, e system now to be described is connected to one of a pair of stationary contacts adapted particularly for the automatic ula o 36 on the relay. The other relay contact 36 is 40 of fuel stoker apparatus, through control of the connected with the thermostat element l2 through 40 operating motor therefor, indicated diagrama lead 38. The relay contacts 36 are adapted matically at Ill. A thermostatic switch ll of to be bridged by a ontact bar 39 carried by but Suitable yp is located in a Space o b eate insulated from a relay actuated armature 40. The so as to be subject to temperature variations oclead 35, relay contacts 36, bar 39, lead 38 and curing therein. The thermostat illustrated vis, by thermostat element 12 form a holding circuit for 45 pr n f a t n yp ing comthe relay coil 28, as will be hereinafter described. prised of a bi-metallic movable thermal element A pair of main relay contacts 42 are arranged l2 supporting a pair of contact blades l4 and I5 to be bridged by a contact bar 43 carried by the which re n a le r p v ly, wi sta i nary relay armature, but insulated therefrom. One but adjustable contacts I6 a d "3- e arnang of these contacts is connected by a lead 44 and a 60 ment of the thermostat contacting elements is lead 46 to the power main 22, while the opposite such that upon contact-closing movements of the contact is connectcd by a lead 41 with a terminal element H, the blade M will engage its contact 48 of the stoker motor [0. The other motor l6 prior to engagement between blade l5 and its terminal 50 is connected directly to power-main contact I8. On opening movement of the ther- 20, through a lead 5!. Thus from the foregoing, 55

it will be evident that closure of contacts 42 through bar 43, as a result of relay energization, will complete the power circuit for operating the stoker motor. It is to be noted that the relay may be of a gravity opened type, but in the present example, it is preferred to utilize a more positive means such as a spring 52, acting to urge the relay armature 46 in a direction to effect an open circuit of paired contacts 36 and 42 when the relay coil 28 is not energized.

A secondary control circuit for relay l9, arranged in parallel to the circuit controlled by the thermostat is comprised of a branchlead 53 connected to that part oflead 30 extending between the limit switch 3| and the thermostat contact 16, the lead 53 being connected to a movable switch arm 54 supporting a contact element 55. Cooperating with contact 55 is a stationary but adjustable contact 56, which is connected by a lead 58 to a thermallyresponsive element 59 forming a part of'a thermostatic or heat actuated timer switch 60. Element 55 carries a contact 6| which cooperates with a stationary but adjustable contact 63, the latter being connected to lead 34 by a lead 64. Interposed in lead 34 is an electric resistanceor heater coil 66 which is arranged adjacent the thermal element 56 so as to effect a movement of the ele-;

ment to break contact between 6! and 63, in response to heating of the coil. The function of this switch in the secondary control circuit will be hereinafter fully described.

Switch arm 54 and the contacts 55-56 comprise the circuit control elements of a time-controlled switch mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 61. The arm 54 is automatically actuatedby a cam 68 which is driven by any suitable mechanism, such as a clock motor which includes a field winding .68. The winding 69 is connected directly across the power mains through a lead 16 and a lead 1 I. connected to lead 46. Thus so long as the power mains are energized, the clock motor will be in operation, and will continuouslyrotate the cam 68 at a constant speed, say for example, one revolution in every hour, this being attained in a well known manner, as'through a reduction gear assembly (not shown). It will be noted that the switcharm 54 is by preference, biased by a suitable spring 12, against the operating surface of camp, in order to assure a positive control of switch arm movement by the cam.

The op ration of the above described system is such t at assuming the powermains 20--22 are energized, a demand for heat in the space to beheated registeredon the thermostat II, as when the space temperature is below the normal desired open-circuit temperature setting of the thermostat, will cause the thermostat element l2 to move to the right of the figure, effecting in sequence contact between blade l4 and its contact l6 and blade l5 with its contact l8. A'n energizmg circuit for relay I9 is thereby completed,

this circuit being traced from the transformer secondary 26 through lead 21, relay operating coil 28, lead 34 including heating coil 66, lead 32, thermostat contact l8, thermostat blades l5 and i4, thermostat contact l6 and lead 36 including safety switch 3|, back to the transformer secondary. The resulting energization of relay'coil 28 operates the relay to close the-paired contacts 36 and 42, through the respective bridging elements 39 and 43 on relay armature 40. Closure of contacts 42. completes the power circuit to stoker motor it), as from main 22 through leads transformer secondary 46 and 44, contacts 42, lead 41 and motor brush 46, motor In, brush 50 and lead 5| to the opposite main 20. The motor now operates to actuate the stoker mechanism in a manner to effect an increase in heat delivery by the heating appa- 5 ratus, assuming of course, that normal combustion conditions exist in the furnace, i. e., the fire is not dead or too low for igniting fresh fuel, or the safety switch 3| has not been actuated to open-circuit the control, as a result of abnormal furnace operation to which the safety switch is responsive. As the temperature in the space to be heated rises, resulting from the increase in heat delivery thereto, and approaches the opencircuit temperature setting of the thermostat, the 15 thermostat element I2 will move to the left of the figure, first acting to break contact at I5-l8 and then a short time later, at l4-l6. The relay l8 does not become deenergized so as to break the motor circuit and stop the stoker apparatus, un- 20 til thermostat blade l4 disengages its contact l6, for the initial thermostat break at l5--l8 has no effect on the relay circuit by reason of the holding circuit completed through relay contacts 36 upon the energization of the relay. The holdin circuit may be tracedthrough the circuit elements 26, 21, 28, 34, 35, 36, 39, 38, l2, l4, l6 and 30. By this arrangement, stoker operation is continued during initial opening movement of the thermostatic switch, to assure an adequate heat delivery to the space in accordance with the demand therefor.

The thermostatic switch device H comprises the master control for the stoker motor circuit,

being responsive for its operation to tempera- 35 ture changes in the space to be heated, and effective in response to space heat demand registered thereupon to initiate stoker operation, independently of the secondary'or time-controlled device heretofore described. The function of the time control and its dependency upon the ther mostat I I will be now described.

The time mechanism comprising the motor operated cam 68 and the switch blade 54 actuated thereby, controls an energizing circuit for the relay switch l9, this circuit being in parallel to the thermostatically controlled relay energizing circuit above described. The cam 68 continuously are ,no calls for heat registered on the thermostat 50 ll. In such instance, the speed of the cam would be set (through the reduction gear mechanism not shown) for one. revolution per hour and the contact 56 adjusted relative to contact 55 so that these contacts will remain closed through the op eration of cam 68 on arm 54, for a fifteen minute period.

The relay energizing circuit effected by closure of contacts 55-56, may be traced from the elements 21, 28, 34, 64, 63, 6|, 59, 58, 56, 55, 54, 53, and 30 back to the secondary 26. As a result, the relay will effect a closure of contacts 42 through bridge element 43 on the relay armature, whereby to complete the power circuit to the motor Ill. 7

26 through the circuit Operation of the stoker motor thus effectedmeans for attaining a time-delayin theopera- I tion of the stoker by the time switch 54, for a predetermined time period after apreceding op-- eration of the stoker in response to closure of the room thermostat II. The function of this timedelay switch is such that when the relay I9 is energized by closure of the circuit through the thermostat II, the current traversing lead 34 and resistance coil 66, causes the coil to heat up and the heat therefrom affects the thermal element 59, warping the element in a. direction to break the engagement between contacts 5I-63. So long as these contacts are open, the time control cannot effect energization of the relay I9. However,

,after the thermostat II is satisfied and .has returned to circuit-open position, thereby de-energizing the relay I9 and the heater coil 66, the thermal element 59 will cool and hence move its contact BI toward the stationary contact 63 to effect engagement therebetween. The time required for the element 59 to cool sufficiently to effect closure of contacts 6 IB3 may be regulated through the adjustable contact 63, as by varying the position of contact 63 relative to the thermal element 59 and its contact 6|, when the thermal element is in its extreme hot position effected by heating of coil 66. It is to .be noted also that the period of open-circuit condition of time switch 60, when the switch is once adjusted as above indicated, is directly affected by the period of thermostat closure, which period may vary considerably according to the degree of heat demand in the space to be heated. For example, the thermostat may close to initiate stoker operation when the space temperature drops only slightly below the desired temperature, in which case the thermostat will remain closed only until the desired temperature is restored, say only a few minutes. Depending upon the heat characteristics of the time switch heater coil 66, the time switch thermal element 59 may not be warped to the full extent of which it is capable, during the few minutes the thermostat remains closed, as in the above example. In other instances, the thermostat may remain closed for a longer period of time, during which the heater coil 55 may effect a full warping of the element 59. Thus the opencircuitperiod of switch 60 becomes a variable which is dependent upon the length of time the thermostat remains closed in response to heat demand by the space.

From the above described function of the timedelay switch, it will beevident that by this device,'the secondary control comprising the time switch 51 isrendered ineffective to cause energization of relay I9 for a predetermined period of time measured from the cessation of current flow through the heater coil 56. As current flow through coil 66 is efiected only by closure of the master control thermostat II in response to heatdemand of'the space, the operative condition of the time-delay switch 60 is. dependent upon the operative condition of the thermostat. However, so long as the thermostat remains open and the switch Gil-closed, the time switch 51' may function to effect periodic operation of the stoker motor and hence of the stoker mechanism, to maintain desired combustion conditions in the furnace. By this control, fresh fuel may be delivered to the furnace periodically and-in an amount suflicient to maintain at least the minimum fuel combustion in the furnace, so as to pre vent the fire from becoming extinguished during those periods in which there is no call registered ,on the thermostat, for an increase in heat delivery to the space to be heated.

As will be evident now, the thermal switch 60 serves to effect a time-delay in the control function of the timing mechanism to initiate stoker operation, the time-delay period in each instance beginning from the opening of the thermostat switch II after closure thereof in response to a call for heat by the space. To continue stoker operation by the time-controlled mechanism, immediately after thermostat I I has moved to'opencircuit position, indicating that the temperature in the space has attained at least the normal desired value, would effect an undesirable increase in the space temperature, as well as an unnecessary delivery of fresh fuel to the retort. Accordingly, the open circuit condition at switch 60 when the thermostat I I becomes thermally satisfied and opens its contacts, effectively prevents for a predetermined time interval, further stoker operation by the timing mechanism, should the cam 68 operate during such interval, to close the contacts 55--56. Thus the switch being under direct control by the room thermostat II, renders the parallel stoker operating circuit including the time-controlled switch mechanism 61, dependent for its operation, upon the operative condition of the thermostat II. v

It is to be noted from the foregoing description of the parallel relay energizing circuits, that the limit switch 3| is in series with each of such circuits and with one side of the transformer secondary 26. Hence the limit switch acting in response to abnormal furnace conditions, may

operate to open-circuit both energizing circuits, so that neither the thermostatic switch I I nor the time-controlled switch 61 can function to efiect though but a single diagrammatic embodiment I of the. invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the elements of the system, such as the thermostat, relay and clock motor-operated time switch, may be of any well known and readily available type, suitable to the purpose set forth herein. Also, the circuit arrangement of these elements may be altered or modified within the scope of the invention, as defined'bythe appended claims. 7

I claim:

1. In a heat control system'for a space to be heated, a thermostatic switch responsive to temperatures in said space, comprising a movable member and twov contacts engageable thereby. a time-controlled switch, a relay having a holding contact, a relay energizing circuit including therein said thermostatic switch and said relay. 9. hold- 4- ing circuit including said thermostatic switch, said holding contact and relay, a parallel relay energizing circuit includingtherein said timecontrolled switch, a second thermostatic switch and said relay,

gizing circuit controlled by the first said thermostatic switch, adapted for influencing operation of said second thermostatic switch.

2. In a heat control system for a space to be heated, a thermostatic switch responsive to temperatures in said space, comprising a movable member and two contacts sequentially engageable thereby, a time-controlled switch, a relay having a holding contact, a first relay energizing circuit including therein said relay and the movable member and both contacts of said thermostatic switch, a holding circuit including the movable member and one of the contacts of said thermostatic switch, said holding contact and the relay, a second relay energizing circuit including .therein said time-controlled switch, a second thermo static switch and said relay, and means in said first relay energizing circuit controlled by the first said thermostatic switch, adapted for influencing operation of said second thermostatic switch.

3. In a heat control system for a space to be heated, a thermostatic switch responsive to temperatures in said space, atime-controlled switch, a relay having a holding contact, a relay energizing circuit including therein said thermostatic switch and said relay, a holding circuit including said thermostatic switch, said holding contact and relay, 9. parallel relay energizing circuit including "therein said time-controlled switch, a heat-actuated switch and said relay, and an electric heating and means in said first relay ener-.

aaaaoea element for said heat-actuated switch, said heating element being in circuit with the first said relay energizing circuit and said holding circuit.

4. In a heat control system for a space to be heated, means for producing heat including a relay adapted when energized to initiate heat production, a thermostatic switch responsive to temperatures in said space, an electrical heater element, a relay energizing circuit including said thermostatic switch and electrical heater element in series therein, a continuously operated timecontrolled switch, a heat actuated switch, and a second. relayenergizing circuit including said time-controlledswitch and heat actuated switch in series therein, said electrical heater element being located in controlling relation to said heat actuated switch and serving when energized in response to circuitlosure of said thermostatic switch, to effect anopen-circuit condition of said heat actuated switch, thereby to render said timecontrolled switch ineiiective to cause energization of said relay, and said heat actuated switch being adapted to maintain the open circuit condition thereof, for a predetermined time-interval as measured from the deenergization of said electrical heater element in response to circuit-open- .ing of the thermostatic switch, whereby there is effected, following each operation of the heat producing means in response to circuit-closure of the room thermostat, a delay in the circuit-closure of the heat actuated switch to render the time-controlled switch effective for producing periodic operation of the heat producing means.

BERNARD MORSE GUTHRIE. 

